Memories of a loved one
by Sheenah267
Summary: After the events in Antarctica, a lot of mysteries have shadowed the way Claire Redfield was acting. The visit of a friend who shared the same pain as her will finally open her heart and her mind. Claire/Steve Claire/Leon friendship


«Disclaimer: I don't own Capcom and the Resident Evil characters. This fanfic isn't directly related to my story "RE4: Payback Time", but I can say that the story takes place before it. I did it mostly for myself and the Steve's fans. So, expect Claire/Steve in it. And even if there's Leon in it, there's no Claire/Leon. Sorry to disappoint the Leon/Claire fans (muwahahahah….) Oh well, that's it. Hope you'll enjoy it.»  
  
  
  
  
  
Memories of a loved one  
  
By Marie B.  
  
  
  
1 Claire threw herself on the bed of her bedroom. After escaping from Antarctica, Chris and her came back to Paris, in France. Barry had rent a house at the outskirts of the city. All the survivors from Umbrella atrocities were staying there. It's where they will make plans to take down Umbrella and to rest a little bit after all those battles. Chris's partners were all happy to see him again. There was Leon too. Claire was happy to see him, but she wasn't in the mood to talk with anyone. She only asked where was her bedroom and then, left saying that she wanted to sleep. (Her bedroom was on the second floor)  
  
Sleep…it wasn't exactly the reason why she wanted to leave them for a moment. She just wanted to be alone…When she arrived in the bedroom, she locked the door behind her, she didn't want anyone to see her. She then took off her boots and her red vest with the words of "Let me live" behind it. She then laid on the soft bed, sighing. She saw a little radio on the desk beside the bed. She decided that some music will be good for her. She turned it on. The guy on the radio announced the new song of Enrique Iglesias: Hero (I know, this song wasn't out in 1999)  
  
"Would you dance, if I asked you to dance  
  
Would you run, and never look back  
  
Would you cry, if you saw me crying  
  
Would you save my soul, tonight"  
  
  
  
"Would you tremble, if I touched your lips  
  
Would you laugh, oh, please tell me this  
  
Now, would you die, for the one you love…"  
  
  
  
At the last words, Claire couldn't help herself to burst into tears. She quickly turned off the radio and moved into a ball, crying. Dying for the one you love…it's exactly what happened in Antarctica…the young prisoner she had met on Rockfort Island…the same young prisoner who saved her countless times…the one who helped her to take off of the island…and finally, this young courageous man who died for her…for Claire Redfield…because he loved her so much…so much to die instead of her. Steve Burnside.  
  
"Oh Steve…" Claire was still shocked about his death. It broke entirely her heart. She saw by her own eyes, Steve dying in her arms. She touched his soft skin, soft, but so cold. Before dying, she melted in his beautiful eyes, full of love and sorrow. Knowing that he couldn't get the chance anymore, he told her his personal feelings, telling her that he loves her and he was sorry that he couldn't escape with her after all they have been through. After saying his last words, his head fell down, his hand leaving Claire's. He didn't breathe anymore. Claire wanted to tell him that she felt the same thing as him, but he was gone and Claire was alone…She started to tremble and all she could do, was to cry for him, wrapping her arms around his naked and bruised body.  
  
And Claire was still crying. She didn't tell everything to her brother. Only that Steve wouldn't come with them. Her brother understood and felt sorry for her. He didn't really know what happened between them during their adventures, but he was sure that they got pretty close to each other. When he heard Claire crying on the other side of the door, he felt so miserable…so useless that he couldn't be beside her to comfort her. He was a bit relieved when he saw her after he had put the self-destruct system in the base. Claire seemed fine. Fine…maybe, but inside her mind, she was crying, wanting Steve to be with her. Worrying her brother was the last thing she wanted to do. And then, after…that bastard of Wesker…He took Steve's body with him to do some experiments on him…Claire didn't know if she has to be angry or happy…happy at what Wesker said… "Maybe he'll come back alive, just as I did…and be able to see your sister again…"  
  
"But, he's dead…" Claire kept saying those words, but in her mind she was telling herself that there could be some chances that Steve could come back alive. And then, she wanted to be there when he'll breathe air again. If God was that good, he could answer her prayers. She so wanted to see him again…see him smiling…touch his soft skin…feel his heart beating against her chest…taste his lips that she never had the chance to kiss…and there was more…but, for the moment…Steve wasn't with her…only in her mind…and she was sure that he'll haunt her dreams for the rest of her life…until if he comes back.  
  
Claire rolled on her side, her arms crossed under her breasts. Tears were still falling from her blue eyes. She was getting tired of her crying. She never cried since her parents died in a car accident. But now…she saw a lot of people who died in Raccoon City…but Steve's death was too much for her heart…she also thought that her brother would die…and that…she would prefer to die than live without her brother. He counts too much for her…all her misadventures began when she wanted to find him…she went to Raccoon City…met Sherry and Leon…then, she left them and went searching for her brother in Paris…she got caught and brought to Rockfort Island…she met Steve…they escaped from the island, thinking that all was over…but found themselves crashing into the Antarctic…then, she finally found her brother…but at which cost? If it wasn't of her brother, Claire would still be in her room at the college, studying for her next exam. She didn't know if she would prefer to study or to blow off zombies head…Sometimes, she thought it would have been better if she never had met Steve…she wouldn't be crying for his death if she never had known him…but, it's too late…and she can't deny that she enjoyed to be with him…even if at the beginning, he was a jerk…but, she started to like him…and even…She remembered the way he was looking at her in the plane, just after they had escaped from the island. She knew he had some feelings for her, but it wasn't only a crush…it was more than that…and she has some regrets that she was that blind…if she could knew earlier, she would have let him kiss her in the plane…she seemed to be sleeping…but she was only pretending at the last minutes…she would have kiss him, but she still didn't really know his real intentions…but now, it's too late…  
  
"Oh Steve…" she whispered again. His name was so sweet at her ears, but it was also remembering her that he wasn't there to hear her. She firmly closed her eyes, deciding to think about something else…but everything was coming back to him…Claire sighed and took a white tissue, drying the tears on her cheeks. She then heard someone knocking at her bedroom's door. "Oh no…" she thought. She kept quiet, hoping that the person will leave, thinking she was sleeping. But, it continued to knock at her door, and even tried to open it, but it was locked. She then heard a male voice on the other side of it.  
  
"Claire, open the door. I know that you're not sleeping. It's only 1 pm. I'd like to talk to you."  
  
Leon. Claire sighed. She didn't know if she wanted talk to him. But since he knew that something was wrong with her, she couldn't lie to him. He was her friend, after all. She sighed some more, and dried again the remaining tears on her face. She replaced her hair and stood up. Slowly, she unlocked the door and opened it. Leon was standing in front of her, a curious look on his face.  
  
"Come in…" she whispered, trying to ignore the knot in her throat.  
  
As Leon came in, he looked around the room, seeming to search some clues. He then noticed a few crumpled tissues. Claire must have cried. He was certain of it when he saw her red eyes. Claire was now sitting on the edge of the bed. Leon joined her, sitting just beside her.  
  
"Claire…" Leon tried to find the good words, not wanting to make Claire mad or sad. "We're all worried about you…I…I'd like to know what's going on…I won't tell anything to anyone, I promise…"  
  
"Leon…it's not that easy to tell…even if you're my friend…"  
  
"I understand…but, I just wanna know…is it something related to what happened on that island?"  
  
Oh god…Leon just touched the right point. Claire was still fighting in her head, wondering if she would tell him the whole thing, or just to say that it was nothing…Even if she didn't want to, the words slipped through her lips.  
  
"Yea…but…not on the island…"  
  
"Oh…in Antarctica, then? Chris told me that he found you there…but…he said that there was someone else with you…Right?"  
  
Claire silently nodded. Leon was on the right way. He was now sure that the person that was with her, was the source of her attitude.  
  
"Who was it? And, what happened to him or her? That person wasn't with you when you arrived here…"  
  
Claire heavily sighed, fighting against the tears that were coming up to her eyes. Now was the moment to tell him everything. She wondered how he would react, but she didn't really mind about it. She coughed, clearing her aching throat and swallowed back her tears.  
  
"That person's name is…Steve. I met him on the island. He helped me all along and we could take off from the place with a plane that he found. We then crashed in the Antarctic, at an Umbrella base. We found again a way to escape from there, but a monster attacked us and we got separated. When I woke up, Chris was there. There was that crazy chick too…Alexia…We tried to attack her, but a tentacle separated me and my brother. I then heard Steve…screaming. I left my brother and ran to save Steve. When I found him…he was on a kind of chair, a big axe blocking him. He then told me that Alexia had injected something in his body…and then…"  
  
Claire swallowed again, wiping the tears in her eyes. She then continued. "He…transformed into a big green monster…he then started to chase me, wanting to kill me…but, I managed to escape from him, only a grid separating us. Suddenly, another tentacle jerked from a wall and wrapped itself around me. I tried to slip through it, but it was too strong…and then, I heard a loud noise…Steve managed to break the grid and was walking toward me…when I thought I was dead, I saw that Steve didn't kill me…instead, he cut the tentacle, leaving me free. But the tentacle hit him and went away…"  
  
Claire stopped. The hard part was coming. Leon thought she was finished. He was kinda speechless, trying to swallow everything she had said.  
  
"Hum…so, Steve changed into a monster? That's why he's not with you? But…I don't understand…why didn't he kill you?" he asked, getting more and more curious.  
  
"Leon…I'm not finished…" she said, looking at him. Leon made a surprised face, blushing that he interrupted her. "Sorry…please, continue…"  
  
Claire took some air, placing her hair behind her ears. She then looked down, her hands shaking.  
  
"Alright…like I said, he has been hit by the tentacle. He was thrown away on a wall…he then regained his human body…I went next to him, saying that he'll make it…but in my mind, I knew that he wouldn't make it…there was that big wound on his belly…and he was so cold…and he knew himself that he would die soon…so…h-he…took my hand and rubbed it against his cheek…and he told me…" Claire's lips started to tremble. Leon noticed it and put an arm around her shoulders. "What did he tell you, Claire?" he softly asked.  
  
"That…he loves me…and then…h-he died…" Claire couldn't continue. She burst into tears again. Leon didn't know how to react, seeing Claire crying like this. He then decided to hug her, wrapping his arms around her. Claire buried her face in his shoulder, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. Leon then stroke her hair, whispering in her ear: "I know how you feel…I lost someone that I loved in Raccoon City…"  
  
Claire looked at him, sobbing, a questioning gaze in her sad eyes. "Ada?"  
  
Leon nodded, his expressions saddening. Claire then put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Leon…I'm not sure…but I think she's alive…"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I didn't really see her, but a woman threw me a rocket launcher when I fought the Mr.X…and since that I saw Annette dying, it couldn't be her…"  
  
"Maybe you're right…but I still saw her falling from the passageway…it was impossible to survive…"  
  
"Who knows?" said Claire, sniffing and wiping the tears from her face. She then managed to smile. "By the way…it's possible that Steve can come back to life…" Leon made a weird face, but Claire explained him what Wesker told to her and her brother before they left the Antarctic. Leon then smiled to her. "I hope he was right."  
  
"I hope it too…" replied Claire, her eyes softening at the thought.  
  
"Feeling better?" asked the young cop.  
  
"I think so…but even though…I can't stop thinking about him…But, it's not a bad thing in a certain way…"  
  
"How come?"  
  
"Like this…I'll always remember him…he'll never forgive me if I turn my back on him…not after all he had done for me…and I won't turn my back on him, because…" Claire suddenly stopped and smiled at Leon.  
  
"Hum…are you hungry? Cuz I am." she asked, changing literally the subject.  
  
"I think there's some pizza in the fridge…I'm hungry, as well. C'mon." said Leon, getting up, showing his hand to Claire. Claire took it, smiling. Then, they headed for the kitchen together.  
  
A warm smile then spread across Claire's face. "I won't turn my back on you… because…I love you, Steve…"  
  
  
  
~The end~  
  
  
  
  
  
«Author's notes: Hiya! I finally made it. It's been a long time that I wanted to do a short fanfic about Claire's feelings and thoughts after RECV(X). So, here it is. I hope you enjoyed it. I tried to be dramatic, but I'm not really good at that. Though, I think it's still good. Please, leave a comment. Don't worry, my last chapter of "RE4: Payback Time" is in works…I should finish it soon…So, stay tuned!» 


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